STONY BROOK, N.Y. - The offense was alive and well for the UMass Lowell men's soccer team (3-9-1, 2-3 America East) as they concluded their three-game road stretch with a 3-1 win over Stony Brook (7-5, 3-3 AE) Sunday afternoon.
 
Three different River Hawks struck in the contest, including sophomore Reziq Banihani (Irbid, Jordan) ended the day with a goal and an assist. The River Hawks outshot their opponents, 10-5, with graduate student Daniel Orrego (Medellin, Colombia) leading the charge with three chances along with a goal. Goalkeeper Christian Miesch (Ried-Brig, Switzerland) was only called upon to make a single save but guarded the box well against the Seawolves.

"Our guys showed a lot of character on the road today," said Head Coach Christian Figueroa. "We put together a much more complete performance that started with an early goal. We capitalized on our chances today and did a great job limiting the opportunities against us." 
 
The River Hawks got on the board early in the match. Only seven minutes into the game, graduate student German Fuentes (Joroco, El Salvador) sent a through ball from the back line straight to the feet of Orrego. The midfielder beat his defender on the run and was able to one-touch a shot across the net into the left corner to earn the River Hawks the 1-0 lead.
 
Stony Brook nearly worked the ball around Miesch in the 33rd minute with a wide cross sent into the middle from the left side, but the Swiss goalkeeper made a diving effort to steal the ball away and keep it from reaching the Seawolves support.
 
The River Hawks broke through again in the 41st minute when Banihani and sophomore Victor Viana (South Dennis, Mass.) went tik-tac-toe inside the box leading to a score just as the opening frame drew to a close. The clever play between the pair earned Banihani his second goal of the year and put UMass Lowell up 2-0 heading into halftime.
 
Both squads came out of the break with their strategies focused on attack as the River Hawks looked to extend their lead. Stony Brook earned a corner in the 52nd minute, hoping to generate a scoring opportunity. The cross curled toward the net and Miesch used his height to his advantage to leap up and punch the ball away, keeping the Seawolves scoreless.
 
Moments later in the other end, Banihani centered the ball to freshman Kai McLoughlin (Dural, New South Wales) who fired the ball low to beat the keeper and extend the River Hawk's advantage to three.
 
The UMass Lowell defense held until the 85th minute as they conceded a goal following a Stony Brook free kick. Still, the River Hawks remained in front as time expired and they left LaValle Stadium with the 3-1 victory.
 
UMass Lowell returns home to host Hartford at Cushing Field on Saturday, October 23, at 2 p.m.